Letter from New Hampshire Secretary of State William Butterfield to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; October 28, 1874

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Letter from New Hampshire Secretary of State William Butterfield to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; October 28, 1874

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People

Ames, Adelbert, 1835-1933 Butterfield, William, 1815-1884 Weston, James A. (James Augustus), 1838-1905

Events

Finances Finances--Debt Taxation Taxation--New Hampshire Voting

Organizations

New Hampshire--Department of State New Hampshire--Executive Department New Hampshire--Legislature New Hampshire--Treasury Department

Places

Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson New Hampshire New Hampshire--Merrimack County. Concord

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[image: ship at sea]

SIGILLUM REIPUBLICÆ NEO—HANTONIENSIS
—1784—

State of New Hampshire.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.

Concord, Oct. 28, 1874.

His Excellency Gov. Ames.
Jackson. Miss.

Sir.

Your letter of the 15^th inst. to Gov. Weston has been referred to me and I reply to your several questions as follows:

The assessed valuation or real and person-al property in this State by the last returns (1872) is $173.000.000. As no distribution is made in the apportionment and assessment of taxes between real and personal es-tate, they are not required to be re-turned separately.

The State indebtedness is $3.800.000.

The annual expenses of the State Government (exclusive of interest on the debt) is about $150.000.—

As to the tax per cent to pay bonds &

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interest and State expenses—these items, under our system, an inclu-ded in the same assessment with all local taxes—thus: The Legislature each year orders a State tax of a gross sum for the next year. This sum varies acording to the estimated require-ments of the Treasury. For the present year, and for the next, it is $400.000. This Sum is apportioned among the towns of the State specifically, in proportion to their respective invoices, which are made and returned every fourth year, and is paid directly to the State Treasury by the towns. The towns add their proportion of the State tax to the amount which they vote to raise for their own local purposes, and the amount required of them for County pur-poses, and for these sums they assess the polls and property of their citizens. Thus the per cent

of taxation varies in the different towns—being generally from one to two per cent for the valuation for all purposes, State, county & local.

Respectfully yours &

W M Butterfield
Secretary of State.